THE BOOK OF MORONI

CHAPTER 7

A few words from Moroni's father (Mormon)True believers are good; everyone else is of the devil.

(No official LDS cartoon for this chapter.)

7:1And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon, which he spake
concerning faith, hope, and charity; for after this manner did he speak unto the people, as he
taught them in the synagogue which they had built for the place of worship.

(7:1-48) And now I, Moroni, write a few of the words of my father Mormon
Moroni interupts his instructions to the Lamanites with a sermon from his father, Mormon. Mormon says the usual Book of Mormon
things in the usual Book of Mormon way. True believers are good; everyone else is evil.

I'd skip it if I were you.

7:2 And now I, Mormon, speak unto you, my beloved brethren; and it is by the grace of God
the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and his holy will, because of the gift of his calling unto me,
that I am permitted to speak unto you at this time.

7:3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable
followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest
of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.

7:4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with
the children of men.

7:5 For I remember the word of God, which saith by their works ye shall know them; for
if their works be good, then they are good also.

7:6 For bbehold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if
he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him
nothing.

7:8 For bbehold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it
is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before
God.

7:9 And likewise also is it counted evil unto a man, if he shall pray and not with real
intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such.

7:10 Wherefore, a man being evil cannot do that which is good; neither will he give a
good gift.

7:11 For bbehold, a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good
fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow
Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

7:12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh
of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth
and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

7:13 But bbehold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually;
wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him,
is inspired of God.

7:14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil
to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.

7:15 For bbehold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from
evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight
is from the dark night.

7:16 For bbehold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from
evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to
persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know
with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

7:17But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and
deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after
this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his
angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

(7:17) Whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and
deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil.

7:18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which
light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which
ye judge ye shall also be judged.

7:19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light
of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn
it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

7:20 And now, my brethren, how is it possible that ye can lay hold upon every good
thing?

7:21 And now I come to that faith, of which I said I would speak; and I will tell
you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing.

7:22 For bbehold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, bbehold,
he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of
Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.

7:23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.

7:24 And bbehold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children
of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen,
and there could no good thing come unto them.

7:25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out
of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold
upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.

7:26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they
become the sons of God. And as sure as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying:
Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall
receive, bbehold, it shall be done unto you.

7:27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended
into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy
which he hath upon the children of men?

7:28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith
in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the
cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

7:29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? bBehold I
say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

7:30 For bbehold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his
command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

7:31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and
to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare
the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the
Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

7:32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have
faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof;
and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children
of men.

7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do
whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

7:34 And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized
in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved.

7:35 And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which
I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that
they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?

7:36 Or have
angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost
from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be
one man upon the face thereof to be saved?

7:37bBehold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is
by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto
the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.

7:38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith
in his name; wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the
state of man, for they are as though there had been no redemption made.

7:39 But bbehold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye
have faith in Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to
be numbered among the people of his church.

7:40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it
that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

7:41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? bBehold I say unto you that ye shall have
hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life
eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

7:42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there
cannot be any hope.

7:43 And again, bbehold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall
be meek, and lowly of heart.

7:44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is
acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and
confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if
he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

7:45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but
rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.

7:46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity
never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things
must fail --

7:47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found
possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,
that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his
Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like
him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he
is pure. Amen.